Separation Anxiety
by oHONEYNUTcheerioso
Summary: When Tifa's assigned to a mission way outside Edge, Cloud becomes a little uneasy of what might happen between her and her partner. Too bad he has no idea where/what her mission is... Post DoC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

**Hi guys! So I'm going back to my roots a little bit. I know I haven't updated my other story in a LONG time, which means I'm uninspired and blocky and a whole combination of things which boil down to mean I can't write (plus Morgana really started to piss me off in the series....)**

**So this is something completely different (sort of...). If you don't like Final Fantasy, it's fine, and if you never heard of it...you may enjoy the story as it is. And if you_ have_ heard of it, well...yay! I hope you like it :D**

**Disclaimer: I really wish I owned FF7. But I don't.**

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It was decided. He looked like an idiot. He only needed a red cape to be mistaken for Cait Sith without a second look. His hand pulled disrespectfully at the bow tie, tossing the foreign article onto the floor without the slightest bit of penance.

He breathed a little easier in front of the mirror now. The suit jacket was still bothering him, but he figured that could be removed easily enough with the proper excuse. The dark circles highlighting the top of his cheekbones were gone, only replaced with the soft shine of light that permeated from is blue eyes.

Shoes were next. No, scratch that. Socks were next. Then shoes. Then his hair, which was entirely hopeless. He picked up the comb Yuffie jokingly got him last year for his birthday. It only flattened the frizz, the main spikes as pointy as ever.

He gave a sideward glance to the mirror and then opened the door, stopping dead as he saw the familiar back. "Tifa?"

The woman didn't turn, all too consumed with muttering something completely inaudible to herself. He didn't have to think twice before tapping her lightly on the shoulder. He'd take any excuse to touch her. "Tifa, is something wrong?"

Tifa turned, a little too swiftly for his sanity. Her short purple towel swirled a little north, but swiftly made its way back down when she stopped to face him. Though the movement did nothing to raise the neckline.

This was out of one his dreams.

Tifa Lockhart was waiting outside of his bedroom, in nothing but a towel. Well, she could have been wearing something under that, but his mind decided not to press the issue.

This wasn't a dream. Clearly. If this were one of his dreams, she'd already be kissing him. The door would already be closed, and he'd _really_ know if there was anything else under that towel.

He mentally slapped himself. _Focus, please._

"I think I'm going to be late." She pointed casually to her less than ready attire, "You'll have to leave without me." Her brown eyes looked him up and down, "…Cloud…you look…"

"I know." He turned around and walked back into his bedroom, "But the invitation said black tie, right? So here I am."

Tifa touched his shoulder, causing that particular muscle to tighten. "I was going to say nice." She walked into his room, still in the towel, and bent down near the tossed piece of clothing. "Speaking of black tie…"

It was already around his neck before he could protest. Her adept hands wove the silky fabric around his neck carefully. He watched her silently, knowing that even if he wanted to, there was no possible way he could make any coherent noise with her so close to him. She patted the ends of the bow with her fingertips, smoothing out any wrinkles, and sometimes, much to his dismay, lingering passed the silky material and on to his lapel. "There." Her hands rested easily on his chest, "It's not so bad, is it?"

Cloud still didn't make a sound, worrying it might break the moment. He glanced down to her pale hands softly grazing his chest through his white button down, eyes catching a bit of silver on her right hand. It was a ring, _his _ring. That sight only made his mind more buzzed. He was stuck. Stuck staring at her hands, stuck speechless, motionless. And frankly, he didn't care.

But she moved on her own. Tifa stepped away from him, her hands retreating back to her sides. "Barret taught me how…if you were curious. He said we'd have to dress up like this one day when they finally thank us for saving the world." She laughed a little to herself, "And I couldn't help but think, the day they'll be thanking AVALANCHE instead of hunting will be a day I'll never see." They were both staring at the mirror now, Cloud shuffling uncomfortably and Tifa cocking her head to the side, "You really do look good, Cloud."

She patted him once again on the shoulder and then retreated from the room, Cloud still inaudible.

--

Fenrir roared to a stop in front of the WRO headquarters. He didn't like the thought of entering without Tifa. It would mean he'd have to handle all the questions, all the greetings, all of the…fans. He didn't care what Tifa said; he rather face Sephiroth for the fourth time than deal with another screaming teenage girl. _You'd think it'd die down after awhile. _

The people were crowded in the wide circular lobby of the WRO. There were shrouds of girls with signs and t-shirts and even little cameras which made Cloud sigh. It had never been this bad before. A flash of red hair caught his attention through the crowd, roughly miring against the wave of people that, strangely, hadn't noticed the spiked blond hero yet.

"Yo!"

His blue eyes flashed up at the familiar voice, "Reno…what is all of this?" Cloud eyed the crowd warily.

"They're not for you." Reno smirked, "Surprising, isn't it?"

His past experience with fans had to agree with the Turk. "Maybe they finally realized that I'm really not a big deal." Cloud smiled a bit, "But…who are they here…"

The shrill screams of the horde behind him shattered his Mako sensitive ears. Cloud quickly turned to the door to see what the hell could invoke such a noise. _Vincent?_

Vincent Valentine looked like death. The deep circles under his eyes greatly contrasted with his white skin. His red eyes flashed up at the rush of people facing him, but the dark man barely moved. A whirl of crimson flew in the air and through the door, leaving the mob in its wake.

_Wish it was that easy for me_.

"Looks like Valentine's getting all the girls now, yo." Reno patted Cloud's back forcefully. "He is the latest hero after all."

It was the reason for this party. Deepground, an organization Cloud had no idea existed, was attempting to take over the world, but Vincent had stopped them. _And this is his reward…_ Cloud inwardly laughed. He wouldn't be surprised if Vincent was back in his coffin by the morning. "I'm gonna go inside. You coming?"

Reno shook his head, "Nah…I'm gonna wait."

The blond didn't think to question it. He moved passed the crowd and towards the doors to the inner hall, where the party was taking place.

"Is that Cloud Strife?"

There were only a few murmurs before more screaming commenced. But Cloud was already through the doors, breathing slightly easier.

For a newly established organization, the WRO really knew how to throw a fancy party. _Must be Reeve's experience with Shinra._ There was soft music, waitresses with cocktails, fancy tablecloths with centerpieces 5 feet high, and more decorations than he thought the non-profit organization could afford. His blue eyes blinked at the foreign surroundings. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been to a party that didn't compose of just him and his mother.

"Spiky!" The boisterous voice of Barret Wallace called for his attention. He only smiled, giving Barret one of those men hugs as he came closer. "Where's my girl?"

"Marlene? I thought she was having a sleepover with Denzel at your…"

"No, no! I meant Tifa."

"Oh…she should be here soon. She told me to leave without her."

Barret nodded, knowingly, "Going for the surprise entrance then."

"What?"

"Never mind…you saw that crowd outside for Valentine?"

Cloud smirked, "He certainly seemed to enjoy it."

"Headed straight for the open bar. Don't think he can handle it, poor man." He took a large intake of breath, "Well, guess that's his problem. I'm gonna go hit the bathroom before the food gets here. Have fun mingling, Spiky!"

Cloud waved goodbye and quickly moved to the edge of the room, wallflower instincts taking over. He consciously made his way over to the bar. Vincent and him seemed to be kindred spirits at these times. "You okay?"

The cape man sneered at the comment, "I rather fight Hojo than hear another girl say 'Be My Valentine, Mr. Valentine.'"

Cloud couldn't help but laugh, the statement being all too similar to what he thought earlier, "Hey that's actually kind of clever. Better than 'I'll be your sun if _you'll_ be over me'."

"…Are you joking?" Vincent's red eyes met the younger man's.

"I wish."

Vincent took another sip from his red wine, golden claw making small marks in the dark wood of the bar counter. "I have heard there is a fan club."

The blond probably misheard. He was too busy ordering a beer from an unattractive man who certainly _wasn't_ Tifa. "Huh?"

"Cid told me." Vincent vaguely pointed to the smoking pilot in the corner, "Apparently I have a fan club."

Cloud stared at him blankly, "It could be worse. People could hate you."

"But then they would leave me alone." Vincent sighed at Cloud's sudden interest towards the entrance.

_Why isn't she here yet? She usually doesn't take so…_

"…I guess."

The door was opening now, but it was only Yuffie, smiling gleefully for some unknown reason. But that was nothing unusual.

"The ninja frightens me sometimes. How can anyone be so consistently manic?"

Cloud nodded, only half hearing. There was another figure coming through the door now. This one taller, with longer hair, longer legs. He took another swig of beer when Tifa Lockhart came into full view. She wore black, of course; she was never really one for bright colors. The solid black dress cinched right under her bust line, black lace composing the bottom skirt. He watched her walk in slowly, eyes glancing around the room until they faced him. His own blue ones glanced downwards, only focusing on her black heels making solid taps across the floor. Her silver teardrop earrings swayed with her lightly curled hair as she approached him. "It's crazy out there."

Vincent took another sip of wine, "They did not leave?"

"I'm afraid not, Vincent. But don't worry. I'm sure they'll all be gone by the end of the night." She gave him a reassuring smile, "You still have the jacket on, Cloud?"

How he imagined her saying that in a more private setting. "…For now."

Tifa's smile heightened, "Of course." She denied the offer for a drink from the bartender and instead gave Cloud a little card. "To a Mr. Cloud Strife and plus 1."

_Plus one? _He eyed the place card with a little anger. A part of him hated that there could be any assumption that his plus 1 wouldn't be Tifa someday. "Table seven."

"Yeah, meet me there? I want to put my purse down." She held up her black sequined clutch before walking towards the group of round tables.

Cloud let his gaze linger at the retreating girl before speaking, "Your table?"

"Also seven." Vincent left his finished wine glass on the counter. "Though my place card failed to include a plus one."

"Probably a misprint." His blue eyes threatened to burn holes through the tiny card.

Vincent smirked, "Or a hint. I will be in the bathroom."

"Restraining yourself from going out there and firing Cerberus?"

The dark man looked deadpan, "Possibly."

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**A/N:**

**I have the next part already finished, and my posting time will depend on my motivation coughreviewscough. Thanks for reading!  
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	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

**Hello again guys! I just wanted to thank everyone who read the first chapter. And a special thanks to my reviewers:  
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**_ajax710vv, LadyTeefStrife, Helliebabe, Kattzia, kitsune13, _and_ Justin._You guys are great :D**

**Hope you guys like this next one too!**

**Disclaimer: roar.  
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Cloud left the bottle of beer next to Vincent's glass and began to make his way to the table. He passed WRO employees asking for his opinion or expressing their gratitude for his past actions, but he only offered them slight waves to make up for his lack of conversation.

There was something weird going on inside his body when he approached table seven. There was that familiar comfort pitted inside his heart. That sense of relieve and peace that he always felt whenever Tifa was nearby. And then there was that other feeling. The one that was becoming stronger every time he looked at her, every time her hair flitted, or her lips parted slightly. This one had a lot of heat nestled into nausea and uncertainty. It was making him nervous. "Hey."

"Hey!" She sounded more excited to see him than he did. A good sign. "Jacket still on?" Her voice sounded playful.

The sudden heat was getting to him. Cloud quickly unbuttoned the black tux jacket and hurriedly wrapped it over the top of the chair next to her. "More like me?"

Her head tilted to the side in fake examination, "Hmm…closer, but you need more shoulder armor." Tifa moved into her seat, "…So did Reeve tell you?"

"What?" He moved to sit next to her.

Tifa sighed, "Cloud, I'm…"

"Yo!"

Cloud turned, only to see Reno again. He gave him an unenthused expression, "Hey, Reno."

The Turk waved his hand, "Yeah, yeah. Hi, Cloud." His attention seemed to be completely directed towards the woman next to him, "Yo, Teef…"

Cloud cringed. _ He calls her Teef?_

"Care to dance?"

If it were possible, she looked even more surprised than Cloud did. Her brown eyes glanced briefly to Cloud than back to Reno, "...Sure!"Tifa flattened her dress as she stood up and grabbed the Turk's hand. He led her easily to the dance floor, hands dragging her closer to him by the waist.

Cloud wish he had the capacity to turn or yell or run. _What…what just happened?_ He wished he could just walk over there, grab Tifa and leave on Fenrir, back home, back to Seventh Heaven. But he was pretty sure the only thing he could do was throw up.

Reno was whispering something to her now, and whatever it was, it made her smile. Her soft lips were laughing now at whatever the Turk had secretly whispered in her ear. It was making the blond sicker. They swayed gently to the orchestra music, other couples joining the floor. But the two of them seemed too engrossed with each other, softly talking and looking into each other's eyes. They seemed oblivious to any other person.

And Cloud was too engrossed with Tifa.

"Hellooooo!!"

The harsh smack on his arm finally made him turn, "Yuffie?"

The ninja smiled, "Very good, Chocobo head. Maybe you're not as dense as I thought."

Cloud ignored her, not entirely in the mood to play games with the young princess.

But Yuffie wasn't one for silence, "So Chocobo head, you look like hell."

"Please shut up, Yuffie." He raised his hand by a waiter, asking for a glass of champagne.

"And drinking too! I don't exactly think that will win her over."

That made his eyes wander again to the small dance floor. They were way too close. He was touching her hair, hands going lower and lower down her back and verging…

There was a sharp slice suddenly in his hand, and liquid was suddenly covering the cuff of his sleeve. Cloud glanced to his hand, no longer seeing the champagne glass but fragmented shards all over.

"Whoa there, Strife. " Yuffie jumped into the seat next to him and looked at the cuts harshly, "Didn't think you'd be so violent about it."

His blue eyes glimpsed at the glass and then back up to the ninja, "…About what?"

"Ummm…that!" She blatantly pointed to the 'couple', making Cloud twitch uncomfortably in his seat. "But hey, maybe that's just a preview of what's to come."

His voice became low, "…It's nothing."

"I wouldn't say that…" Her soft grin looked harsh under her mischievous dark eyes, "You never know what weeks alone will do to people."

_Weeks? Alone?_ "What?"

The ninja blinked, "Eh? You don't know? Too bad it's not my place to tell you…"

"Yuffie, there's nothing going on."

She simply shrugged, sipping her water as the dance finally ended. Tifa gave Reno a quick hug and made her way back to the table. Her brown eyes immediately widened at the sight of blood. "Cloud! What happened?" She immediately grabbed one of the white napkins, but stopped when she saw the shards of glass. "How did you get glass all over your hand?"

"It was an accident." He was feeling stupid again, like some little kid. He wondered if Tifa viewed him that way. "I can take care of it."

"It's fine." She grabbed his glass-free hand, dragging him towards the woman's bathroom. Cloud immediately resisted, but Tifa didn't seem to notice or care. She instantly started to pluck out the shiny bits of glass jaggedly cutting the skin of his palm. Tifa glanced up when she slowly pulled on a larger piece, "Does that hurt?"Her voice was so soft, almost hypnotizing. He only shook his head. Nothing really hurt him, but she was still trying to be so delicate. "I think I got it all."

Cloud remained silent, still slightly memorized by her actions. She dabbed his hand with warm water carefully removing any excess blood. "Tifa…"

But what could he say to her? No, you're not allowed to dance with other people or talk to them or let them touch you like that. You're not allowed to smile and laugh with them. You're not allowed to be happy. "…Thanks."

She nodded, "Of course, Cloud." Tifa broke her gaze from his hand for a brief second, scanning the bathroom. "I don't have anything to bandage it with."

"It's okay…"

"No…it's still bleeding. We should go."

Cloud shook his head. He didn't really want to drive home one handed, not with Tifa behind him. "I can't drive like this."

"I'll drive." She noticed his lack of confidence, "Unless for some reason you want to stay…"

He tossed her the keys with his good hand, pressing on his palm with a paper towel as she led them out.

-

"Never again."

It took awhile for Tifa to turn off the engine, "I wasn't so bad."

Cloud remained silent.

"Well at least I didn't hit anything."

The night was still early. There were no patches of grey clouds, only clear dark blue sky littered with specks of starlight. The surrounding air was cool and dry. Every so often the wind would blow slightly and make the little strands of hair on his arm stand and shiver. It felt nice on his cut, calming the increasing stinging sensation. There was no practical fear of infection, but Tifa was always a little overkill about these things. And after everything, Cloud was never one to question caution.

He watched her move up the driveway to the front door and jostled the key. Her dark hair reflected in the pale starlight, even as her dark shadow crept into the door frame. She held it for him, her brown eyes never flinching from his dark form. _She's just concerned._

It wasn't anything more. If it were, why would they be living like this, as indifferent friends? Why would they be sleeping in separate rooms, with only required, innocent touches, never progressing as anything else?

"I have something to tell you." She was washing his hand again, this time in their bathroom. But that didn't sound right. It wasn't really theirs, was it? There was no their.

Tifa ignored his silence, "Reeve assigned me a mission."

"That's nothing new."

She looked serious as she began speaking again, "…It is. I won't be back for weeks."

_Weeks?_ He didn't like the familiarity of that word. "Where?"

"I'm not supposed to say…"

"Tifa, it's me."

"I know." She was patting off the excess blood, "So you'll understand the confidentiality of it."

He had nothing to argue with anymore. "By yourself?"

"Hm?" Though he had the feeling she heard him.

"Are you going by yourself?"

She paused for a second, and Cloud thought that maybe she wouldn't answer. "…No."

"You're going with Reno."

Tifa moved in surprise, but didn't look up, "Yeah, how did you know?"

"Yuffie knew." _She knew before me._ "I don't think you should go."

The pressure on his hand increased, "What?"

"With Reno. I don't want you to go." Cloud was looking at his hand now too, afraid to see the confusion on her face.

"Why?" She said it gently, but he continued to feel more and more pressure on his bleeding hand.

"I just…" _I don't want him touching you._ "…He's still working with Rufus. You can't trust him."

Tifa shook her head, and loosened her grip. She reached for a roll of bandages on the counter. "I know that."

"But you're going anyway?" His palm clenched as she wrapped the cloth roughly.

"Yes. To test loyalty."

_Who's? His or yours? _ But Cloud refrained from mentioning that out loud. _There's nothing for her to be loyal to. _"For Reeve?"

"Yeah, for Reeve. Reno was a Turk, but Reeve doesn't feel comfortable sending him on a mission by himself without someone he can trust."

Cloud didn't really care about the reasons. There was really only one thing sticking: she was leaving. "…When?"

"Tomorrow."

_Tomorrow?_ "You didn't tell me sooner?"

Tifa paused, fingering the tips of her hair. "I'm telling you now." She tied the edge of his bandage and met his eyes. "Does this bother you?"

"The bandage?" He tore his blue eyes away, "It's fine."

"No…" She shook her head, and some of her bangs grazed across the upper part of her cheekbone. His hand flinched, wanting to move them back, but he stopped himself, "…me leaving." Tifa stopped again and reached forward, almost towards his arm. He thought she might touch, but the sensation never came. Tifa swiftly retracted, combing through her own hair instead. "Does that bother you, Cloud?"

_Yes. _He just wanted to scream it. Yes, it did bother him. Yes, he never wanted her to leave his side. Yes, she should stay with him, right here, for as long as they could. "No." His voice was hard. "I just wish you told me sooner." It came out harsher than he thought, his voice containing a gritty venomous tone.

Tifa caught it quickly. Her eyes flashed in slight shock, and she silently moved towards the bathroom door. It seemed to hit her harder than he expected, despite his surprising tone. Cloud reached out to her as she grabbed the door, but she shook her head. "…You should be grateful I told you at all."

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**A/N:**

**Guess what? I finished the next one too (this is what happens when you're inspired...). And I'll post it in a couple of days or so after I start writing chapter 4. **

**Please review! It'd make my day :D**

**~Honey**

**Ps. Check out Cheerios' one shot! (especially if you like the Zerith)  
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	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

**Goodness. I actually wanted to publish this thing sooner, but fanfic was being all glitchy. sigh. Anyway, thanks everyone for reading :) and reviewing...**

**And speaking of reviewing, here are my fabulous reviewers once again:  
**

**LadyTeefStrife, vLuna, ajax710vv, Tiffany Lockheart, and MakoRain (two reviews too! thanks!)**

**5 is kind of the magic number with me...just saying. Oh! and this one may be a little...less humorous...but I promise I'll go back to the humor in the next chapter!  
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**Disclaimer: I still don't own the characters. Maybe the plot...but that's about it.**

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Her suitcase was larger than he would have liked.

He had seen it that morning, while she had been in the bathroom, standing on the dark wooden floor in utter mockery. It was tall and black, the rolling kind that people brought when there was too much stuff to actually carry. And if there was too much stuff for Tifa to carry, Cloud knew that she had brought a lot. Which meant she was going for a while. She would be gone with _Reno_ for a while. And he would be here by himself.

For a second, he thought maybe Tifa wasn't exactly angry with him. Maybe she had forgotten or realized she had overreacted or something. She had still made breakfast for him, still placed his delivery slips on his desk and did everything else she had done every other day. Except for smile.

Tifa was in a flurry. She rushed from her room back to the front hall, and back to her room again. Cloud eyed her weirdly; she wasn't one to be disorganized. _Why does she have so much left to pack?_ His mind felt buzzed at the thought. _Maybe she wasn't going to leave…_

That made him stand, forgetting the waffles in front of him. "She asked if it bothered me." He was muttering to himself. His hand felt for the wooden kitchen chair for support, "Would she have…if I said…"

His mouth immediately stopped when he heard Tifa's muffled footsteps approach him. "I'm going soon." Her voice was completely flat, no sign of any kind of emotion, but Cloud knew he wasn't forgiven.

"Okay." Cloud nodded and walked closer to her. _If I tell her now…would she even listen?_ He raised his head, preparing for the words, but his blue eyes caught something. "What?"

Tifa blinked at his confused face and then looked to where his eyes were directed. "What this?" She held up the hanger, which held a black bathing suit.

He felt his eyes narrow slightly. The bottom was embellished with silver rings right where the leg hit the waist, and the top...well, he just didn't understand why she couldn't wear a one piece. Actually, he didn't understand why she needed one at all. "Aren't you supposed to be going on a _mission_?" Cloud turned around angrily, picking up his plate of waffles and tossing them in the trash. He was feeling nauseous again.

"Yes,'" She said simply and left the room.

He felt the heat rising into his face, shaking his joints and making his breath hot. There was no control left in his body as Cloud followed her to the bar entrance. It felt like he was under someone else's influence, like somehow, his brain had become mixed up with Zack's again. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, but there was nothing in his body that was fighting it. He couldn't stop the heat from overflowing his brain. "You're not going."

The command caught her immediately. She strayed from her packing to look him straight in the eye. "Excuse me?"

"Wherever the hell you're supposed to be going, you're not. I'll talk to Reeve and…"

"No."

The sharpness of her voice brought his brain back. "What?"

"No. I don't want you to."

Cloud moved forward to touch her arm, "But Tifa…"

"No!" She smacked his hand away, hair flying as she shook her head. "You think you have the right to even say that to me? You think you can tell me I'm not allowed to go?" Tifa turned around. It was the first time she had raised her voice at him…she never yelled. He heard her take a sharp intake of breath, "You think…." She shook her head and grabbed the suitcase handle, "…did you think you treated me differently?" It was only a whisper now, but he heard it. He understood it, and it killed.

"Tifa…"

She opened the door, "I don't want to talk to you, Cloud. But I will tell you this…" Her fingers brushed his silver ring, resting on her finger. He hated that it seemed misplaced. "At least I'm not running away."

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Maybe he should have gone after her. Maybe it was supposed to be one of those moments when the guy finally gets over his stupidity and shyness and runs to the girl. When he finally realizes there was no point in hiding anything…that she felt the same way too and that they were only three words away from being ridiculously happy.

But he knew he couldn't do that. He couldn't exactly chase the WRO sponsored taxi with his motorcycle, calling through the window. And she didn't even want to talk to him anyway.

"Excuses."

Cloud was getting tired of them. Everything that his mind came up with, preventing him from just telling her, seemed like an excuse. _It'd break our family_. Excuse. He had already done that. _There's never a right time_. Excuse. There's never a wrong time. _She doesn't feel the same._

He stopped there, knowing that was the one thing holding him back. Certainty. He could never be certain of her feelings. No matter how much he knew that he….he didn't know that she thought of him that way in the slightest.

His hand unknowingly reached for his phone, rubbing the metal outside. _Should I call her?_ It was out of his pocket now, and his fingers were running through his contact list. They moved name after name, but Cloud stopped way before getting to T. "Hello?"

"Yeah? Hey Spiky!" Barret's low voice met him on the other end. "I was just going to go get the kids breakfast and then head over…"

"No, Barret…um…could you keep Denzel for awhile?"

He felt uncomfortable during the short silence between them, "…awhile? How long is that?"

"…I don't know. I …I um have a mission."

Barret let out a long sigh, "Jeez, Reeve sure does work you two hard."

"Yeah…right."

"I'll keep the kid for _awhile_. Marlene enjoys having someone around her own age anyway. She misses you all."

Cloud nodded, knowing that Barret couldn't see him, "Tell her I miss her too. Thanks a lot, Barret. I should really…"

"Hey, Cloud. Good luck."

He blinked, "…Thanks, but I'm sure I'll…"

"Not for the mission. Just, good luck."

Cloud scratched his head, "Alright then, thanks. Bye." He flipped his phone closed, but didn't put it away. He just had to know. Before he did anything, he just had to check. Scrolling through his contacts, he found her name near the end. He felt a surge of hesitation before pressing the button, but he was soon holding the phone to his ear, expecting her voice any second.

"Hello?"

She sounded cautious, which was expected. He never called. "Hey, can we talk?"

"…what?"

"I need to talk to you."

She was laughing now…not good. "WHAT??"

Cloud shook his head, "Just come here, Yuffie." He replaced the phone to his pocket and retreated back to the bar counter. It was like some strange torture. He could smell her still, see her still walking there, talking, laughing. And even though he wanted those images to go away, in reality, he just wanted her back.

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**A/N:**

**Ah! once again guys, thanks so much for reading this story. I absolutely love all the motivation and hits I'm getting :D **

**I'll get started on chapter 4 (yeah...it's not done...life kind of caught up to me) but extra reviews won't hurt....just saying. I'm a little shameless when it comes to wanting reviews :P**

**~Honey  
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	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

**Hey there! wow.....ummm....I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing back here already...but hey, I guess it's really thanks to everyone giving me 6 reviews in like 1 day (YAY!).**

**And those reviewers are...**

**PEANUT v 1.2, LadyTeefStrife, kitsune13, MakoRain, ajax710vv, and vLuna!**

**Oh and an extra special thanks to kitsune13 who noticed a bad pronoun error. In case you also noticed, I wrote that Cloud is wearing his ring, but really I meant Tifa was (I'll go edit that in the actual story now...). I apparently can't catch differences between genders when writing super fast (sighsigh). Better editing in this one!**

**I hope you guys like this one...I added a different um, element.  
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**Disclaimer: characters still aren't mine.**

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"I hope this isn't about what I think it is." The ninja sighed and crossed her legs, elbows on the bar counter. "Because if it is about what I think it is, I already told you." She twirled the empty glass in her hand, eyeing the remnants of clear liquid. "Hey Chocobo Head, can I have more water?"

_Not until you answer me_. His hand failed to reach for the pitcher to his right, and he continued to stare down the Wutai princess.

Yuffie feigned a cough, "Gosh, I'm just so parched. I don't…think I can….talk much longer."

"Here" He grabbed the glass pitcher firmly and let the cool liquid stream down into Yuffie's glass. "Happy?"

"Eh, could be better. Remember that Luck plus materia that you fou…"

Cloud's eyes became sharp. "Yuffie, where's Tifa?"

She shrugged, "Beats me." Yuffie continued to swirl the water, dark eyes glancing at the blonde's direction mischievously. "It's hot."

_I don't care._ He couldn't sit there anymore. Cloud got up from the bar stool and mechanically walked to the thermostat. _…It's only 65 degrees in here._ "Isn't Wutai really hot?"

Yuffie shrugged again. It was beginning to bug him, "I guess….not as warm as other places. But hey…" She downed the glass, "You're just thrilling to be around, Strife."

Cloud rolled his eyes, "…thanks." He was still looking at her, but she didn't seem to flinch. His gloved hands swept through his gold hair, incredibly frustrated by the situation, "You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Hey, I warned you."

His eyebrows narrowed, "….No, you didn't."

"Yeah!" The ninja got up from the stool and sauntered over. "I did! Remember at the party? You were all 'I'm Cloud Strife, brave enough to save the world like five times, but I still don't have the balls to tell a girl I like her' and then I said something about Aerith…"

He sighed at that. Why was Aerith always involved in these situations? That was so long ago, and sure, he felt like shit realizing he was partly to blame for her (and not to mention Zack's) death. But it wasn't the same. It _isn't_ the same feeling. And he was tired of everyone thinking it was.

"….and then you did something like that, so I said 'I'm not helping you anymore', so you see? I'm just sticking to my word."

_That's a first_. "Please, Yuffie. Look, I did something really stupid…"

She grunted, "Wouldn't be the first time."

"…And I just want to apologize to her."

Yuffie gave him an impatient look and grimaced. She huffed and spun around, tapping her foot wildly on the hardwood floor, "Then definitely not."

_Huh?_

The ninja twisted back around, a surprisingly serious look on her face, "The only way I was going to possibly tell you was if you got your ass over there and just told her. No apologies. No compliments. Just a straight 'I like you, be with me and not the stupid Turk'. But since all you want to do is _apologize_, you can forget about it."

He felt his patience becoming thinner, practically transparent. But he knew he couldn't kill her…then he really couldn't find out where Tifa was. _Well I could go to Reeve…_ Cloud shook his head. As annoying as Yuffie Kisaragi was, he couldn't do it. Because, for one thing, Tifa would hate him for it. Plus, it was morally wrong, but he didn't seem to care much about that at the moment. "So you do know where she is?"

The ninja blinked, "Hehe…um, well yeah. But that still doesn't mean I'm telling you."

"…Yuffie, please."

She smirked at his desperate expression. Yuffie went up to Cloud, hands on her hips, "Let's hypothetically say that I do tell you, alright?"

He swiftly nodded, "…Okay."

"So if you actually did manage to get this seemingly priceless information out of me, how will I be compensated?"

"Huh?"

Yuffie sighed, "What's in it for me, Chocobo Head?"

He didn't really think about that. Yuffie wasn't really one to want anything except for materia. "You can have my Luck Plus materia."

"Hm, tempting, but I could always swipe that from you another time. I need something a little more interesting than that." She went back to the bar stool and crossed her arms, leaving Cloud to think.

_Yuffie…Yuffie…I don't know!_ "Um…a trip back to Wutai?"

The ninja snorted, "The last thing I want is to go back and see my old man right now."

"…Um, a chocobo?"

"Your hair is good enough."

"…motion sickness medication?"

"Really?" Her voice raised a bit, "That's really the best you can come up with?!"

"Look, just tell me what you want."

That made her quiet. Yuffie's head immediately fell down at the statement, suddenly overcome with some foreign emotion. _Is she…shy?_ "You…you promise not to laugh at me?" She was holding her arm harshly, cheeks looking completely red.

"Of course." He was surprised out how serious it came out, but Yuffie looked incredibly concerned.

"…Vincent."

He thought he might have misheard, that for some incredibly crazy reason some sort of rare, tangible object was replaced by one of his friend's names. "What?"

"Ugh!" She stamped on the ground. "Look, I like Vincent, okay? And if you could somehow get…"

"Wait…What? You like Vincent?!" His mind was spinning a little.

"Come on, Cloud! Who do you think started that fan club?!"

Cloud coughed, "That was _you_?"

"Mhm." The ninja started pacing, obviously incredibly nervous. "Though...it probably wasn't the best idea. I don't need a bunch of random girls out for my man."

It took a lot of effort for Cloud to retain his laughter, "Plus he hates it."

"Eh, whatever." She went back up to the blond, her sudden shyness disappearing, "So…I'll help you, when you help me! Easy, right?"

_Umm…not really. _"…You want me to get him to like you?"

Yuffie shrugged, "Wasn't really expecting that much…I'm just bringing you two together, so I thought maybe you could…you know, set us up!"

"You mean a date?" He couldn't believe this. When was he a matchmaker?

"Hehe." Yuffie grabbed his hand, "You get Mr. Valentine to go on one date with me, and I'll give you the low down on Teef. Deal?"

Cloud shook the ninja's hand, "Deal."

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**A/N:**

**yeah, yeah I know it's a little short. But it seemed okay to end it there...and I think I gave you guys enough to think about.**

**Oh and if anyone has a guess where Tifa might be, let me know :D I'm just curious.**

**I'll get started on part 5 now! You guys know what to do! Hint: click the button on the bottom of your screen and write me a little message :)**

**~Honey  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

**Hi guys. Can I just start out by saying, wow? Thanks to everyone who gave me _9_ reviews!! I'm so so so happy; I'm sure everyone in my dorm thinks I'm incredibly insane from the happy noises I make when I check my stats (well...that is, if they didn't already know I was crazy). And my lovely reviewers are:  
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**LadyTeefStrife, cherimai, ajax710vv, Sigart, Clement Rage, vLuna, PEANUT v1.2, CB Shipper, and kitsune13 (massive review too! double thanks to you)**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own 7. I'll let you know when I do.**

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In retrospect, there were so many other easier options than this. He could have just gone to Reeve directly, who probably wouldn't have told him because the mission was confidential. Or he could always sneak in to WRO headquarters and find the paperwork. Sure, it might ruin his reputation and cause the head of a powerful organization to be angry at him, but it seemed to be worth the risk.

How he could ever convince Vincent Valentine to go on a date with Yuffie Kisaragi was beyond him. He didn't even know how to set up dates for _himself_, let alone anyone else. _Maybe this will be easier…it's not my feelings on the line anyway. _ He had already told the caped man to meet him by the Meteorfall monument. But now that he was here, waiting for Vincent to arrive, he had no idea what he was going to tell him. Every scenario he played out in his mind involved Vincent running away at the end. _'Hey, Vincent…do you know who seems really un-annoying or hyperactive recently?' _ Cloud shook his head. This was going to be a challenge.

"Cloud?"

He looked around for the deep voice, clearly recognizable as Vincent's, but he couldn't find him in the light crowd of people.

"It's me."

There was a tall man waving from his left. He was dressed in dark black jeans and a plain black t-shirt. Sunglasses cleverly blocked his red eyes. "…Vincent?"

The man nodded and walked forward, "Hello, Cloud."

"Edge is a little dark for sunglasses."

Vincent sighed, "I am attempting a disguise. It seems my…fan club likes to follow me."

"You mean stalk?"

"…Precisely."

Cloud shook his head. _'Hey Vincent, you know what? That girl who started your law breaking fan club wants to go out with you!'_ Nope. Not a good transition either. "We can go somewhere less…open if you want."

The taller man looked around, "I do not see any of them. We should be fine here, but what did you want to discuss?"

"Umm…" his head was blank. There was absolutely nothing that could possibly convince Vincent to go on a date with Yuffie. "Well I just wanted to…"

The sharp ring stopped him midsentence, luckily for Cloud. Vincent sighed in apology and looked at his new phone, slightly confused by the caller ID, "Hello?" The dark man cringed, immediately crushing the metal phone in his pale hand.

Cloud blinked, slightly scared, "You okay?"

"….errr." He shook his head, letting dark bangs whirl on his cheekbones. His voice sounded dead, "They know my number."

"Oh." Cloud patted him on the back, "It'll pass, Vincent. I've dealt with...those people before, and they always seem to move on."

Vincent shook his head, "Yes, but how am I supposed to live in the meantime? I can't dress normally or go anywhere without being swarmed by screeching, clingy monsters." He fell back on a nearby bench and ran his hands through his black hair. "I was never one for attention, Cloud. I never wanted to be famous like you."

_The only reason I wanted to be famous was for…_ Cloud shook his head, "So what do you want to do?"

"Perhaps I'll go back to Nibelheim. It was quiet in the basement."

_He can't go though…then Yuffie won't tell me where Tifa is._ His mind was turning with ways of trying to convince Vincent to stay. But Vincent Valentine wasn't one to be bribed with anything. He went without worldly positions for 30 years; he wouldn't mind doing it again for another five. _And I can't exactly stop his club…_ There was no way. _They only stopped following me when I moved in with…_ Cloud smiled. "I have an idea."

Vincent looked skeptical, "For what?"

"For making those girls leave you alone."

This caught his attention, "How?"

Cloud moved next to him on the bench and coughed. He wasn't exactly sure if Vincent would be too fond of his plan, but it would certainly work and in everyone's favor.

* * *

She already wanted to go home. The sun was bothering her, as was the heat and the humidity. Her hair was acting funny, and her skin felt slightly burnt, even though it had only been a couple of hours since she arrived.

Her mind kept contrasting her situations. Edge was dark and rushed. People poured into the streets just to go to their destinations. No one stopped to talk or listen, and frankly, she didn't really mind it. There were always clouds, and they were always a soft grey. It reminded her of the plate over Midgar or the smoke over Nibelheim, neither of those happy memories, but they were familiar nevertheless.

Here there was only blue. And as much as she knew that she should like it, she only wanted the clouds. _Really?_ Her mind was laughing at herself. Maybe it wasn't that kind of cloud she wanted.

"Too late."

She had set the deadline herself, didn't she? It was too late to be thinking about things that will never happen. It was too late to do something or try. It was the time to move on, forget him, forget whatever feelings that still may exist, forget that maybe…if she wasn't too late…

"You wanted a separate room, Miss?"

Her head perked up at the bellman and nodded, "Yes, please." She had convinced Reeve that she didn't have to hide her identity. This wasn't exactly too much of a covert mission anyway. She started to unpack, piling her clothes onto her bed, first wanting to put away all of her other things. The black notebook on her desk was of particular interest. _Record anything suspicious…_ Reeve had told her to take note of everything. Of the tourists, the location, but mostly her partner.

She folded her clothes precisely, more for distraction than out of habit. Her mind couldn't stop going back to Edge. And she felt stupid for feeling so homesick. _Remember when you didn't even have a home_? But that thought only made it worse. She had a home now, and she wondered if she hurt it.

What was he trying to tell her?

Knowing Cloud, it wasn't simply that he wanted her to stay. There was more to it, more than the simple 'don't go'. But she didn't want to think about that. She _couldn't_ let herself. The mission was her focus. Instead of making breakfast for Denzel, she'd only need to feed herself. Instead of keeping track of Cloud's calls and messages, she'd only have to watch Reno's….which was a poor substitute at best.

The soft knock on the door killed her thoughts, luckily for her. "Come…" but she stopped, remembering she was in a hotel, not home, and that these doors would be locked. "Hey, Reno." She gave him a soft smile as she opened the door, "Sorry, I just started unpacking so can't say I'm ready to start yet…"

"That's okay, Teef." The Turk invited himself into her hotel room, crashing into her chair and letting his feet loose on the coffee table. "I'll just sit here and chill until you're all ready, yo."

"…It'll be pretty boring, but okay." Tifa continued to fold, trying to forget his presence. She felt nervous around him, and not the same kind of nervous she was accustomed to back in her own house. _Maybe I better just talk to him_. "You're excited about your first mission?"

Reno shrugged, "Eh, I'm not really looking forward to the _mission_ if you want me to be completely honest with ya."

"Oh then what?" She was putting a pile in the drawers now. Would she really be gone this long? Was it really necessary for her to pack 3 weeks worth of clothing? Reeve had never put a timeframe on it. Search the area for remnants of Shinra, of any reports from Hojo, and suspicious behavior. He'd call her when she's done. _Whenever that is_.

"…um, well the beach for one thing, yo! Which reminds me…" Reno removed his feet from her table, "I was thinking about hitting up some clubs before we get knee deep in work, what do ya say?"

_Clubs?_ That would be a change. There were no clubs in Edge or Nibelheim, and the clubs in the slums of Midgar weren't exactly her taste. "Sure, why not?"

Reno hopped up from the club chair, "Great! So I'll pick you up around 10ish?"

She didn't exactly like the way he phrased that. _He almost makes it sound like a …_"Okay." Her thoughts had to move on, and even if they didn't want to, she would just have to force them.

* * *

"No."

"Vincent…"

"No."

"So you rather be stalked for another 2 years?"

This made him stop and think. "…why _her?_"

"Is she that bad?" Vincent's expression was enough to take back the words, "Okay, but who else could we use?"

"Tifa?"

Cloud refrained from punching him, "She's not here. She went on a mission for Reeve."

The dark man collapsed back on the bench, looking transparently white. He was clutching at his black hair in utter pain, "But _Yuffie?"_

"It's your choice. " Cloud stood in front of him, a little desperate. "Go on one date with a girl you've known for many years or keep hiding and destroying your phone."

Vincent looked up at him, a little suspicious, "You seem rather for this, Cloud."

The blond shrugged, "I'm just trying to help you."

"You didn't talk to Yuffie about this?"

He smirked, "Since when do I talk to Yuffie at my own freewill?"

"Hmph," Vincent smiled a little, "Alright, Cloud." He took Cloud's hand and shook it halfheartedly, "We have a deal."

The blond grinned excitedly, one step closer to finding Tifa. But even with that goal in his mind, he couldn't help but feel like he just sent Vincent to his death.

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**A/N:**

**yay! I'll get to work on chapter 6 right now (actually...after I eat food). You know what would be awesome? getting reviews in the double digits :D.....just saying.**

**hope you all liked it!**

**~Honey  
**


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